MEETING MINUTES / PASTORS
On page 227 of the Minutes of the Presbytery of the
Winchester (now on file in the U T
S Library, Richmond) we find:
A call for the pastoral services of MR JOHNSON was
presented to Presbytery from the church of Mt. Hope, which on motion
was placed in his hands and accepted."
"On motion Presbytery resolved to hold an
adjourned meeting at Mr. Hope on Thursday, Nov 23, 11 AM, for the
purpose of ordaining Mr. Johnson, if the way be clear, and installing
him pastor of said church. DR. FOOTE was appointed to preside and to
propose the constitutional questions, MR. DUTTON his alternate; MR
PROCTOR to charge the Bishop, MR HEATON, alternate; MR WILSON, to
preach the sermon, DR. HARRISON his alternate; MR JENNINGS to charge
the people, MR GRAHAM, alternate. Adjourned to meet at Mt. Hope,
November 23, 1854, 11AM. Closed with prayer".
On page 228 - 229 the following:
"Adjourned meeting, Mr. Hope, Nov 23, 1854.
At the appointed hour for the meeting of Presbyter,
a quorum not being in attendance, the members present adjourned until
3:00 PM, but being still without a time Presbytery was opened with a
trial sermons of MR J JOHNSTON, from Luke 24:26, "Ought not
Christ to have suffered, etc, after which Presbytery was called to
order. In the absence of the Moderator, the REV. W H FOOTE, D. D. ,
was called to the chair, REV. J. GRAHAM was chosen temporary clerk.
The following members were present:
MINISTERS
|
REV. W. H. FOOTE |
REV. M RAYMOND |
|
REV. L. F. WILSON |
REV. J. R. GRAHAM |
RULING ELDERS
|
MR. F. S. SHEETZ, PATTERSON CREEK CHURCH |
|
MR. JOSEPH MCCARTY, MT. HOPE CHURCH |
"On motion, Presbytery having heard the trial sermon of MR.
JOHNSTON sustained it as satisfactory. Adjourned till Friday 8AM.
Closed with prayer."
"Friday, November 24, 8AM, Presbytery met and was opened with
prayer, and then proceeded to the examination of MR. JOHNSTON, with a
view to his ordination. Having examined him in Theology, Church
History, Church Government, and the Sacraments, on motion the
examination upon his literary course was omitted, in view of the fact
that such an examination had been made within the last month and
approved. On motion, the whole examination was sustained as
satisfactory and his ordination and installation were made the order
of the day for 11 AM. The absence of some of the members previously
appointed to take part, a change was necessary, VIZ., REV L F
WILLISON to preach the sermon, REV W H FOOTE to preside, propose the
questions and charge the bishop; REV M RAYMOND to charge the people.
Presbytery took recess till 11 O'clock.
"11AM Presbytery met and proceeded to the order of the day,
when MR JOHN Johnson was solemnly set apart to the full work of the
Gospel Ministry, by the laying on of hands of the Presbytery, and at
the same times was installed pastor of the Church at Mt Hope. Closed
with Prayer."
The REV JOHN JOHNSTON was a native of Ireland and graduate of the
University of Belfast, Ireland. He came to the US in 1853. He married
MISS SALLIE WELTON, October 25, 1854. MR JOHNSTON spent forty years
of his ministerial life in our Presbytery. He was a preacher of
unusual power and a man of learning. Being the scholar he was, he was
seriously impressed with the lack of school facilities for the youth
of our community. As our church has always maintained an educated
ministry, so too, it has taught that parents are solemnly required to
give their children every opportunity in Christian education. Seeing
this lack of school, MR JOHNSTON opened a school in the church on the
hill, and excellent one as many students later attested. MR ISAAC
HEISKELL of Romney and a MRS WHITE were also teachers, and below are
the names of a few scholars though there were many others:
|
MISS LUCY SHEETZ |
DAVID LONG |
|
MISS MARGARET SHEETZ |
JAMES REESE |
|
MISS ELLA RIZELL |
ROBERT CARSKADON |
|
JOHN P ARNOLD |
REV MALCOLM WOODWORTH
REV MALCOLM WILLIAM WOODWORTH was born in the North
White Creek, near Cambridge, Washington Co, NY, Jan 31, 1832; son of
WILLIAM WOODWORTH , a farmer, and SHARLEY GILBORT NORTON. He was
educated at Cortlandville Academy, Cortlandville,NY; Union College,
Shcenectady Seminary, Princeton NJ where he was graduated in 1857.
REV WOODWORTH was received by Winchester Presbytery
as a candidate July 13th, 1855, licensed to preach April 18, 1857,
and ordained Sept 5, 1857. he came to Keyser and Piedmont immediately
on graduation and was installed pastor of Mt Hope and Piedmont
Churches on Oct 17, 1857, and remained as pastor on the rolls of the
Presbytery until Sept 17, 1865, when the relationship was dissolved.
He was married May 5, 1864, to MISS SUSAN ELIZABETH STREIT, daughter
of WILLIAM HILL STREIT, a ruling elder in the Kent Street
Presbyterian Church, Winchester VA. He became stated supply to the
Patterson Creek field (Burlington, Eusebia and Alaska) which he
served until 1887. He was pastor at Davis July 16 1887 to Sept 8,
1893, and a Holly Meadows from 1893 - 1895. On April 22, 1898 he was
dismissed to Lexington Presbytery where he served Stony Run and
Beulah Churches to the fall of 1900, when his health failed and he
returned to Gerstell, WV and from there he went to Burlington WV,
where he died Feb 1, 1903, in the home of his son R V WOODWORTH.
REV EDWARD MARTIN
In 1867, the church called the REV EDWARD MARTIN.
The people had never forgotten his splendid work when he walked over
the mountains to supply the few people with preaching services. MR.
MARTIN accepted the call and entered upon a very successful ministry.
HE was greatly beloved by the congregations at New Creek and Piedmont.
Our Church continued to grow in influence and became a stronghold in
the community.
The REV EDWARD MARTIN, D.D. was born in Richmond
VA, Feb 4, 1827, aged 58 years on the date of his death, Feb 26, 1885.
In 1854, he went to Nottoway Court House, Nottoway
County VA, preaching there at Shiloh and Republican until 1867 when
he was called to Mt Hope Church. He accepted this call and arrived
with his family in June 1867, resigning in 1870 to accept a call to
St Charles Missouri, as pastor of Presbyterian Church in that city.
When MR. MARTIN came to New Creek there was no
church building. It having been burned by the soldiers during the
Civil War, and was never rebuilt. He preached for some time in a
house on the Potomac River, used temporarily used as a Court House.
MR JOHN HUGHES fixed up a room above his store on Water Street, and
this was used as a preaching place until the Court House was finished
on Armstrong St, and they were given permission to use it. This was
their only place of worship until early in the REV JOHN M CLYMER
pastorate, lost were purchased on East Street, and the second church
was built, a commodious structure. This building was later owned by
the Peters Hardware Co.
It was while MR MARTIN was pasotr that his wife
influenced the women of the church, and the first women's
organization was inaugurated know as the "The Ladies' Mite
Society", and in 1867. The work thus began has never ceased.
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